Switch



Patented Aug. 18, 1936 acetico swrrloei Gottrrid C. Lawson, @lc-io duly Si, i933, lilo.

(Cl. 2MB-52) Claims tive iu r 1 t1 i ie termination oreraaon, sucia for exdrating operation, i au 'al attention. o which the im lay ice applied is in a drying cham metier drying articles of clothr-:lpie as the drying comparirceut the and air-conditioning ajodisclosed roy contending application ed will stood, however the switch laerein dis- .y be used eorijuict; n with many .t types of installations and coat the scope mention is in sorrise in this regard. c foregoing and other oojects advanf will become apparent io View the follow description taken conjunction with the i is a diagrammatic layout oi au elecuit and apparatus for a drying cabinet crie form oi my iiriprovecl switch. operasscciated therewith; and it are detail 'views of .modified clics or circuit breakers. "sortant :feature oi advantage of tire im .melo is the Aease with which it may be to practically any type of installation.

c, l, l .allow the switch operatively associated an electrical circuit for dehydrating and airtioniug apparatus such as that disclosed in my copending application above noted. This cir- :lricludes a heating element motor Si, snap switches l and tl, and line wires Ei and l@ conneet-ed to a source of current which may ce either alternating or direct.

switch proper comprises a coil i3 which is made'up of the unconnected terminal extremities positive and negative Wires or conductors 53e and lh, 'the latter comprising part of the switch circuit and being wound on a core or analogous support ifi in a manner suolo as to loe relatively close "out out-of actuai contact with one another and are either partially or Wholly uninsulated. Trie core lil maybe one ci the hanger rods for articles of clothing used in the drying compartment of the apparatus disclosed in my copending application above noted, or said core may be any other convenient frame or like part which will serve as a support for the coil i3.

A clamp member lo is pvotally connected to a ry. u.

`bracket it secured on tice rod or core it, member preferably seing provided with a series of perforations ita.

The wires its and lh may, if desired, Toe era-- bedded in the core tti, and thereon a Wet ciotio or 5 like article capable of absorbing moisture and dcated at s applied and preferably clamo, against the coil by means of the clamp i t relay switch il is connected into the iine tel; and is organized to close the main circuit when energized due to short-circuiting of wires lilo and itil and to open said circuit when eleonorgized due to cessation of time shortwircuiting action.

T.f"-.ilen alternating current is used a step-down 15 transformer lf2 is interposed in the switch circuit to reduce time voltage from the main circuit to te with the capacity oi ie switch circuit obviously if direct current is used tire transformer may be replaced by a suitable sistauce.

im example ci tile operation of the improved switch is as follows:

it ine assumed that themotor is used drive an air-circulating fan for a clothes drier and that the heating element serves to heat the air circulating through the drying comparte moet and apparatus, and further, that the core rofl ifi is positioned in the said compartment.

il wet cloth il? or the like would loe clamped 3o on the coil i3 at the beginning ci the drying, op eration, which cloth would short-circuit t3-:ie terminal extremities of Wires a and itl, closure' relay switch li and consequently the main circuit 9, it). The cloth il, being also subjected to the dehydrating action, gradually loses moisture until it reaches a point Where the short-circujtlng action ceases, whereupon the relay switch ii is opened, in turn opening the main circuit and stopping motor 6 and cutting off current to the fio .treating element By regulating the amount of moisture content initially carried by the shortcireuiting element or cloth il, the operating time period may be varied es desired. it will be obvious that this could ce rione oy varying the bulls or thickness of the cloth. or analogous element so as to regulate its moisture-carrying capacity, or by using different kinds or material capable of absorbing and retaining varying quantities of moisture, and oy other methods not here enuroer- 5g ated.

Fig. 2 shows a slight modification in the switch coil, which is indicated at i iin this instance a pair of looped strips of conducting material are embedded in the core ifi, said strips being free or unconnected at one end and at their opposite ,ends connecting'with the switch circuit wires 13a,

ISU.. 'I'he operation is the same as in Fig. l. I In Fig. 3, a further modification in structure is shown, the switch wire i3a connecting with the clamp I5 and the wire i3!) with a plate or strip i3c of metal or other suitable conducting material. In this form of switch, the circuit is completed through the clamp bracket i5 until the element l1 becomes sufficiently dry to terminate the short-circuiting action.

Actual experience with the improved switch has demonstrated its practicability. It is simple in construction and operation and may be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

It will be understood that the switch circuit shown in the drawing has been adopted simply for the purposes of illustration and that in certain installations a separate transformer may not be required, and further, that the relay switch may be substituted by means which will perform the desired operation. Also, certain structural variations and modifications may be adopted in the actual switch construction within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. In an electrical switch or circuit breaker, a switch circuit including electrical conductors having unconnected terminal extremities spaced such distance as to leave a reduced air gap therebetween, a clamp member, and an absorbent short-circuiting element'adaptecl to be removably clamped against said conductor terminals by said member and temporarily bridge said gap, the circuit being broken through dehydration of said element.

2. In an electrical switch or circuit breaker a support, a switch circuit including electrical conductors having unconnected terminal extremities arranged on said support in the form of a coil and spaced such distance as to leave a reduced air gap therebetween, an absorbent shortcircuiting element for temporarily bridging said gap, the circuit being broken through dehydration of -said element. and a clamp for removably holding the said element on said support.

3. In an electrical switch or circuit breaker, a support serving in effect as a core, a switch circuit including electrical conductors having unl connected and uninsulated terminal extremities arranged on said support inthe form of a coil and spaced such distance as to leave a reduced air gap therebetween, a perforated clamp member, and a cloth or analogous moisture-absorbing element adapted to be clamped on said support by said member and temporarily bridge said gap, the circuit being broken thru dehydration of said element.

4. In an electrical switch or circuit breaker. a support serving in effect as a core, a switch circuit including electrical conductors, a clamp member associated with said support, one of said conductors being connected to said member and the other being arranged onsaid support, and a cloth or analogous moisture-absorbing element adapted to be clamped between said member and" conductor and complete the circuit therethrough, the circuitbeing broken thru dehydration of said element.

5. In an electrical switch or circuit breaker, a support having electrical conductors thereon, a moisture-absorbent element draped on the support, and a clamp having electrical conductors separaterfrom said rst conductors for clamping the element on the support. y

6. An electrical switch or circuit breaker particularly adapted for apparatus for drying clothing comprising a support' on which an article of clothing may be hung. a switch' circuit including electrical conductors having exposed unconnected terminal wires arranged on said support in the form of a coil, and a wet cloth or'analogous article hung on said support, the circuit being ybroken through dehydration of said article.

GO'I'I'FRID C. LAWSON. 

